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Friday, 1 April 2016

Press Release: HG Bishop Angaelos conferred the Lambeth Cross for Ecumenism by HG the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace days after receiving the Coventry Cross of Nails at Coventry Cathedral

HG Bishop Angaelos conferred the Lambeth Cross for Ecumenism by HG the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace days after receiving the Coventry Cross of Nails at Coventry Cathedral

1 April 2016

The
Lambeth Cross for Ecumenism was conferred upon His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General
Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, by the Archbishop
of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, on 31 March
2016 at Lambeth Palace. The Lambeth Cross has been the highest honour bestowed
by the Archbishop of Canterbury since 1939 and is conferred to distinguished hierarchs
who have rendered exceptional services to the cause of Christian unity.

Speaking
directly to Bishop Angaelos in an interview after conferring him with the Lambeth
Cross the Archbishop said:

“My
encounter with Orthodoxy through you has been a really profound experience in
my life. It has changed much of my understanding of what the Church is
universally. I have never had that much engagement with Orthodoxy, and
certainly not with Coptic Orthodoxy. I found a completely different
understanding, a much deeper sense of being drawn into the Body of Christ, and
this is a recognition of the importance of your role in presenting to the
United Kingdom and to the Church that we belong to one another in Christ.”

Speaking of the effect
of his encounter with Orthodoxy, Archbishop Justin went on to say:

“[this]
has been a major step forward in my own spiritual journey, and His Grace has
been a major feature in that; and it is part of what he has done in England
across many communities, including of course with His Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales.”

In response to the
Archbishop’s comments, Bishop Angaelos said:

“This has been a
wonderful time for a great partnership. The fact that there is an opportunity
to work with Your Grace, with the Church of England, and with the Anglican
Communion worldwide to advocate for others is wonderful because it comes at a
time at which we must stand together. Your Grace and the Church of England have
been very vocal on these issues, along with, as you mentioned, His Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales. It is time for us to speak collaboratively and
powerfully. It is only by the world seeing us standing together and witnessing
that what we have in common is more than what separates us, that it realises that
we have common ground, especially for those who are not so privileged as we are
to speak.”

The
ceremony was followed by evensong in the Archbishop’s Chapel and a reception in
the Guard room, after which Bishop Angaelos said:

“I am
honoured and humbled to receive the Lambeth Cross from His Grace the Archbishop
of Canterbury. I believe this is a crucial time for us to work and witness
together as Churches, Christian leaders and Christians as a whole, to send a
more positive and encouraging message of who we are and what we stand for, and
to speak for those who struggle here in Britain, in the Middle East and around
the world. We are very fortunate to have strong ecumenical ties in Britain, and
a visible unity and collaboration that makes the Church relevant and its input
effective, and for this we must all be extremely thankful.”

Going
on to say:

“At a
time of increasing challenge and darkness, when there appears to be no hope,
and those who threaten us appear to be stronger, our hope and strength lies
well and truly in our unity, in our shared vision, and in our commitment to do
what we can, not only for ourselves but for the world around us.”

Photographs above by Martin R Williams

Earlier in the week, after having preached at
the Easter Sunday Coventry Cathedral service at the invitation of the Bishop of
Coventry, His Grace Bishop Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop Angaelos was also
awarded the Coventry Cross of Nails
in recognition of his work on reconciliation by the Dean of Coventry Cathedral,
the Very Reverend John Witcombe. The Coventry Cross of Nails is recognised
throughout the world as a symbol of peace and reconciliation. Although it has
been awarded to hundreds of charities and organisations over many years, it is
only rarely presented to individuals.

Commenting on the week,
Bishop Angaelos said:

“Building bridges,
forging relationships and engaging in partnership and collaboration is
something I believe we must all be committed to on a daily basis. I am thankful
to be surrounded by many good friends with whom I work so closely and am honoured
to have received this recognition from not only the ‘Archbishop of Canterbury’,
the ‘Bishop of Coventry’, and the ‘Dean of Coventry’ but from dear friends and brothers
in a shared ministry and witness.”

These two awards were preceded by Bishop
Angaelos being conferred the honour of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of
the British Empire for ‘Services to International Religious Freedom’ by Her
Majesty The Queen in 2015. These three awards represent three core components
of His Grace’s ministry: Ecumenism, Reconciliation and Religious Freedom,
alongside his pastoral and youth ministry.